Documents & Reports

Africa's pulse (English)

Abstract

Economic growth in Sub-Saharan Africa is estimated to have picked up to 2.6 percent in 2017 from 1.5 percent in 2016. This upswing reflected, on the supply side, rising oil and metals production, encouraged by recovering commodity prices, and improving...
See More +Economic growth in Sub-Saharan Africa is estimated to have picked up to 2.6 percent in 2017 from 1.5 percent in 2016. This upswing reflected, on the supply side, rising oil and metals production, encouraged by recovering commodity prices, and improving agricultural conditions following droughts. On the demand side, growth was supported by a rebound in consumer spending as inflation moderated, and a recovery in fixed investment as economic activity picked up among oil and metals exporters.The special topic of this issue of Africa’s Pulse explores options for accelerating electrification in Sub-Saharan Africa, the role of innovation in facilitating such expansion, and the implications of achieving rapid electrification for inclusive economic growth and poverty reduction in the region. Countries’ national electrification plans typically have focused on the expansion of the national electricity grid using large-scale fossil fuel and hydroelectric generation facilities and, more recently, some grid-scale investments in solar and wind power generation; off-grid solutions have been limited.
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